Remote register for gas meters



May 22, 1951 J. w. BlcKEl. ETAL REMOTE REGISTER FR GAS METERS Filed D590.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1n May 22, 195'1 J. w. BICKEL ETAL Rmlo'rs: REGISTER RoR GAS METERS 2 snwtssneera Filed Dec. 14, 1945 ,5. www? n, N JJM Patented May 22, AIQ

REMOTE REGISTER FOR GAS METERS Joseph W. Bickel, Skokie, and John A. Reding, Evanston, Ill.

Application December 14, 1945, Serial No. 635,009

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fluid meters and especially, though not exclusively, gas meters of the type which, due to their construction and use in certain geographical areas, render it necessary that such meters be disposed within a building. Such meters are generally constructed with an indicating register, in direct association therewith, and the total assembly is frequently referred to as a meter. v In certain localities Where there is considerable variation in temperature, such as in the Midwestern States, it is necessary that gas meters be installed inside buildings, Where temperatures are fairly constant, because the changing temperatures outside cause gas to expand or contract, which causes an inaccuracy in metering the gas. Also this same change in temperatures causes a condensation of water in the meters, which at low temperature, would freeze, thus rendering the meter and indicating register inoperative and interrupting gas service to customers, which could prove very serious. Hence in such localities it has been necessary to locate the meter with its indicating register within the building, thus making it necessary for the meter reader to enter the building at certain intervals of time for the purpose of recording the reading of the indicating register of the meter in order that the customer or user of the fluid may be periodically billed for the amount of fluid consumed.

The location of the meter and its indicating register within the building presents several ob- J'ectionable conditions. By virtue of such installations, the meter reader must be admitted utility company or other organization which i supplies the nuid. To admit the meter reader to the building frequently discommodes some personin the building, and during inclement Weather, the floors of the building frequently become unnecessarily soiled by the entrance of the meter reader. This type of installation also presents the further objectionable condition, namely that it frequently necessitates a meter reader making several calls to the building in order to gain access thereto, thus resulting in a substantial loss of time and causing a certain inconvenience in the accounting departments of the supplier of the fluid. Moreover, the meter reader is subjected to hazards when entering certain buildings where animals are kept,

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved fluid meter and indicating register construction which obviates the foregoing diiculties and objectionable conditions and by virtue 0f Which the meter proper may be located at any convenient or desired position within the building, and an indicating register, operably connected to the meter, may be located on an exterior Wall of the building, Without regard to the location of the meter in the buildmg.

Another object is to provide an improved iluid meter and indicating register construction of the above mentioned character by virtue of which the exteriorly located indicating register may be operably connected to either side of the meter casing so as to permit making of convenient installations Where the meter proper must be located in an awkward or partially inaccessible location.

A further object is to provide an improved fluid meter and indicating register construction Wherein'a conventional meter and associated indicating register are installed within a building, and an auxiliary indicating register is mounted on the exterior wall of the building, the latter being operably connected to and driven by the mechanism of the conventional meter, and by virtue of which the auxiliary, exteriorly indicating register is operated in correspondence with the indicating register directly associated with the meter.

Still another object is to provide an improved fluid meter and indicating register construction possessing the above indicated advantages and which is durable in use, positive in operation, and capable of being economically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, showing a iluid meter and indicating register construction embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the exteriorly located indicating register, taken substantially as indicated at line 2 2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top View of a conventional combination meter and register, with the top of the casing removed and embodying operating oonnections and remote indicating register, constituting the present invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, vertical vSection through the upper portion of the combination meter and indicating register, taken substantially as indicated at line d-ll on Figure 3.

The meter and indicating register embodying the present invention, as represented in Figure l of the drawings, comprises a conventional meter as indicated generally at Il), provided with inlet and outlet supply conduit connections II and I2. The conduit connection II is shown connected through suitable, conventional fittings to a main supply pipe I4, and the conduit connection I2 is connected by a pipe I5l which it may be understood extends to suitable apparatus in the household or building, such as the heating plant and/or the hot water heater and/0r the gas range, etc.

As may be seen in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, the conventional gas meter includes a sheet metal casing having a removable top 2 I which in use is preferably soldered to the casing. The

upper portion of the casing is provided with a transverse partition wall 23 through which projects a pair of upwardly extending shafts 26 and 21, located adjacent the front and rear walls of the casing. By virtue of suitable apparatus mounted below the partition 23, and responsive to the flow of gas from the supply pipe I4 to the pipe I5, said shafts 26 and 21 are oscillated. Connected rigidly to the upper ends of the shafts 26 and 21 are arms 28 and 29 to which are pivotally connected levers 30 and 3 I, the free ends of which U are journaled on a trunnion 32 mounted on an arm 34, the opposite end of which is mounted on a vertical shaft 35, supported by the partition wall of the casing. Thus, as the shafts 25 and 21 oscillate, the arm 34 causes rotation of the shaft 35. Mounted on the stud 35 is a worm 38, meshing with a Worm gear 39, which in turn is secured to a horizontally extending shaft 40, journaled in suitable brackets which are attached to the transverse partitioning walls. The forward end of the shaft is operably connected to a conventional indicating register device, designated generally at 42, with dial reading portions visible from the external forward wall of the casing. The meter thus far described is a conventional gas meter construction which has been extensively used.

Since considerable power is developed within the meter to effect rotation of the indicating register shaft 40, we prefer to utilize such power to operate a remotely located auxiliary indicating register designated at 50, preferably mounted on the outer wall 52 of the building.

The additional apparatus required for the operation of the auxiliary indicating register comprises a cam 55, rigidly mounted on the shaft 40, the cam being mounted within a roller race 5S mounted in a carrier or frame 51, of generally rectangular form, provided at its lower side with a guide finger 59, movable through an aperture formed in an upwardly extending bearing bracket 60 which is secured on the top of the partition wall 23 of the casing. Thus as the shaft 40 rotates, the cam causes the carrier 51 to be recprocated in a horizontal direction.

Secured to opposite sides of the carrier frame 51 are bosses 62 in which are threaded a pair of oppositely extending rods B3. These rods are guided and provided with journal support in the bearing bracket 6U, and in the shortened 4bracket indicated at 64, which is secured to the verticalllr oifset portion of the transverse partition wall of the casing, as seen in Figure 3 of the drawings. The rods 63 extend through the opposite side walls of the casing, as clearly seen in Figure l of the drawings, through a pair of aligned apertures in which are mounted portions of special fittings 61, having reduced threaded portions projecting through the apertures in the side walls of the casing, and engaged by a suitable lock nut E8. A shouldered portion 61a of the respective fittings $1, abuts against the inner surfaces of the side walls of the casing and is preferably soldered thereto to provide a fluid seal. The outer ends of the rods 63 are slidably guided in these iittings 61, and to assure against possible gas leakage along the rods, flexible fluid sealing devices, indicated generally at 62, are each connected at one end, in a conventional manner, to an intermediate portion of the rods 63, and the other ends are attached to said ttings 61, Thus it will be apparent that, as the shaft 40 rotates, the rods 63 are reciprocated first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, and the interior of the casing, above partition wall 231 is sealed against fluid leakage.

The purpose of the dual arrangement of the reciprocal rods 63 is to permit making an operative connection to the outer end of either of the rods, through the side wall of the casing 20, for operating the remotely located indicating register 59. This arrangement permits making of convenient connections of the indicating register 50 and the meter proper, even when the meter is located in relatively close quarters, such as for example, with one side wall of the meter casing disposed in close proximity to another wall of the building,

The auxiliary indicating register, as represent r ed in the drawings, is of a simple form, and ind cludes a housing 12 in which is mounted a con-r ventional form of mechanism for driving a plurality of indicating fingers 13 associated with a series of dials, indicated at 14, which are visible through a window in one wall of the casing 12. As shown, the mechanism includes a ratchet wheel 15, adapted to be moved in a step-bystep manner by a reciprocable ratchet dog 16, actu-f r ated by a lever 11, pivoted at 18 on a mounting' frame 19 of the mechanism. It is to be under stood that the ratchet wheel drives suitable gearing, indicated diagrammatically for rotating theY indicating fingers 13. The ratchet wheel 15 is held against reverse rotation by a spring finger attached to said mechanism frame 19. The operating lever 11 of the mechanism is yieldingly urged in a counter-clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, by a coil spring 32, when permitted by movement of operating connections to the rod 63 as will now be described. The lever 11 is operated by motion impulses transmitted fro-m one of the reciprocable removable rods 63, within the meter casing. In the drawings we have shown fluid operated means for interconnecting the mechanism of the remotely located auxiliary indicating register 50 to the drive shaft 40, which shaft also actuates the indicating register 2 directly associated with the meter As seen in the drawings, a cup-shaped, nternally threaded element 85, is mounted against each of the outer side walls of the casing, in surrounding relation tc the threaded projecting ends of the fittings 51, and is preferably soldered to the wall of the casing to further insure against possible luid leakage. The lock nuts 68 are threaded on the outer projecting portions of the fittingsI 61 so as to firmly clamp the bottom portion of the cup-shaped elements tightly against the .side walls ofthe casing. The exposed end of one of the rods 63 which is not to be utilized to provide a driving connection to the auxiliary indicating register 5B, is preferably enclosed and sealed against unauthorized tampering. For this purpose, a cap element 'i' is threaded into the cupshaped element 5, and both the cup-shaped element and cap element are provided with apertured clips 55a and 81d, adapted to be aligned with each other and through which is adapted to be inserted a conventional form of lead-wire seal, indicated generally at 9S, the purpose of which is to readily indicate possible tampering with the meter.

The other rod 53 thus provides the operating connection for actuating the auxiliary indicat ing register 5@ and for this purpose, the outer end of said rod 53 has fixedly mounted thereon an abutment head S2, positioned to abut against the free end of an expansi le--contractible bellows Q3, the opposite end of which is-fixedly secured in a cup-shaped housing gli. Said housing Q4 is threaded into the cup-shaped element 85, and is provided with an apertured angle clip 94a adapted to be aligned with the clip 85a, for accommodating a conventional lead-wirel seal et, for the purpose above indicated. Operably connected to the housing 94 and said bellows 93 by means of nut 9E, is a conduit @i which is in open communication with the interior oi the bellows 93. The conduit 9'? is adapted to be extended through the wall 52 of the building in which the meter |il is mounted, and operably connected to the auxiliary indicating register 5d, mounted on the outer wall of the building. The opposite end of the conduit 9T is attached by means of a nut 98 to the fitting of a cup-shaped mounting |00, carried within the casing 'l2 of the auxiliary indicating register, with said end of the conduit 9'! in open communication with the interior of a bellows |02, mounted within said cup-shaped mounting Idil. The opposite or free end of the bellows m2 is connected by a link |03, to a spring |04 which in turn is connected to the actuating lever of the mechanism of the auxiliary indicating register 50.

It is to be understood that the two bellows 93 and HB2 and the conduit Eil preferably, though not necessarily so, are lled with a suitable antifreeze liquid. It will now be apparent that when the shaft 43 rotates, through the medium of the cam 55 and carrier 5! the right hand rod 63 as seen in Figures 3 and 4 will be reciprocated, thus imparting impulses to the free end of the bellows 93. Outward movement of the right hand rod E3 imparts an impulse to the bellows S3 to compress the liquid therein and the force of which is transmitted through the conduit 91 into the bellows |82 for causing an expansion of said bellows |02, thus permitting the spring 32 to operate lever '|1, and cause a single step movement of the ratchet wheel l5. Upon return movement of said rod 63, the bellows 93, is permitted to expand, thereby relieving the pressure in the bellows |82 so that said bellows contracts, and through the medium of the link |63 and spring |94, actuates the lever to reposition it against a stop |05, and the ratchet arm in a position. for engagement with the next tooth of the ratchet wheel 15, as seen in Figure 2. Thus for each revolution of the shaft 40, one impulse of the movement is transmitted to the mechanism of the auxiliary indicating register, and which it may be understood, results in operating the indicating fingers associated with the dials of the register 5d, in a manner corresponding exactly to the movement of the indicating fingers of the dials of the standard indicating register, 42, directly associated with the meter I0.

Although we have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, manifestly it is capable of modification and rearrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. We do not, therefore, wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise form herein disclosed, except as we may be so limited by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

l. For use with a primary indicating gas meter register which is actuated by a rotating shaft and is enclosed in a casing installed within a building, the combination comprising, a pair of oppositely extending elements mounted in the casing and having their outer ends projecting through openings in opposite walls of the casing, means on the shaft and operably connected to said elements for reciprocating the latter, fluid seal means for said openings, said iiuid seal means comprising a stationary member secured to said casing through which the end of said actuating member extends and a flexible member sealed to said actuating member, said actuating member also extending through the iiexible member, an auxiliary register adapted to be mounted on the exterior wall of the building in which the meter is to be installed, and iiuid operated means adapted to be extended through the Wall of the building for operably connecting said auxiliary register with the outer end of either of said reciprocably movable elements for operating the auxiliary register said fluid operated means including a first and a second bellows and a connecting conduit, said first bellows being mounted on said meter casing so as to be readily detachable therefrom.

2. For use with a primary indicating gas meter register which is actuated by a rotating shaft and is enclosed in a casing installed within a building, the combination comprising a pair of oppositely extending elements mounted in the casing and having their outer ends projecting through openings in opposite walls of the casing, means on the shaft and operably connected to said elements for reciprocating the latter, fluidl seal means for said openings, said fluid seal means comprising a stationary member secured to said casing through which the end of said actuating member extends and a iiexible member sealed to said actuating member, said actuating member also extending through the flexible member, an auxiliary register adapted to be mounted on the exterior wall of the building in which the meter is to be installed, fluid operated means comprising a conduit adapted to be extended through the wall of the building, a bellows operably connected to the outer end of one of said reciprocably movable elements and having its interior operably connected to one end of the conduit, said bellows being detachably mounted on said meter casing, and a second bellows operably connected to said auxiliary register and having its interior operably connected to the other end of said conduit, whereby the auxiliary register is causedto be actuated.

3. For use with a primary indicating gas meter register which is actuated by a rotating shaft and is enclosed in a casing installed within a building, the combination comprising, cam means mounted on said shaft, an actuating element mounted in the casing and having a cam follower coacting with said cam means, said actuating element projecting through an opemng in the casing and being reciprocated by said cam means, fluid seal means for the opening in the casing, said fluid seal means comprising a stationary member secured to said casing through which the end of said actuating member extends and a flexible member sealed to said stationary member and to a portion of said actuating member, said actuating member also extending through the flexible member, an auxiliary register adapted to be mounted on the exterior of the building, and means detachably secured to said casing and extending through the wall of the building for operably connecting said auxiliary register with said actuating element, said end of said actuating member being adapted to engage and move a portion of said last means to actuate said auxiliary register.

4. For use with a primary indicating gas meter register which is actuated by a rotating shaft and is enclosed in a casing installed within a building, the combination comprising, cam means mounted on said shaft, an actuating element mounted in the casing and having a cam follower coacting with said cam means, said actuating element projecting through an opening in the casing and being reeiprocated by said cam means, fluid seal means for the opening in the casing, said fluid seal means comprising a stationary member secured to said casing through which the end of said actuating member extends and a flexible member sealed to said stationary member and to a portion of said actuating member, said actuating member also extending through Cil the iexible member, an auxiliary register adapted to be mounted on the exterior of the building, and fluid operated means extending through the wall of the building, said uid operated means comprising a rst and second bellows and a conduit in communication with both of said bellows, said bellows being detachably mounted on said casing and having operable connection with the projecting end of said actuated element, and said second bellows being operably connected with said auxiliary register.

JOSEPH W. BICKEL.

JOHN A. REDING.

REFERENCE S CIT ED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 179,200 Kettell June 27, 1876 509,799 Erhardt Nov. 28, 1893 519,972 Schneider May 15, 1894 658,643 Henning Sept. 25, 1900 751,007 Pratt et al Feb. 2, 1904 2,094,711 Leininger Oct. 5, 1937 2,123,577 Pelich July 12, 1938 2,137,524 Bugg Nov. 22, 1938 2,315,709 Hudson Apr. 6, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 63,609 Switzerland Nov. 4, 1912 

